Back to School: NCPD Officer To Return to East as SRO

The New Canaanite 2024 Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Karp Associates.

For many, going back to elementary school may not be a good thing. 

But for Police Officer Ron Bentley, “it means the world.” 

For the school year that kicks off this month, Bentley—a two-plus decade NCPD veteran readying to enter his final year as a cop—has been assigned as the School Resource Officer or “SRO” at East Elementary School, his alma mater.

Bentley describes this assignment as “personal.” 

“I was there the other day and I’m walking through the school and a flood of memories came back from when I went to school there— from where the gym used to be to the teachers and  just great moments that I had there,” he said.

Bentley—together with his younger brother, Charlie, a New Canaan firefighter—grew up in town. Bentley was a member of the 1994 New Canaan High School graduating class. He describes his experiences in New Canaan as formative.

“It made me who I am today,” he said. 

“It’s ironic that I’m going to a school where I started my schooling,” Bentley said. “I had great teachers, great administrators, and coaches that supported me my whole life here in town, and I really appreciate everything that everyone’s done for me in New Canaan throughout my life.”

Bentley’s experiences and connections in New Canaan were a motivating factor in his decision to become a police officer in town, he said.

“It means the world to me. One of the reasons I became a police officer was to give back to the community. They gave me pretty much everything,” Bentley said. 

For Bentley, this new assignment extends beyond reflection on the past, it’s also an opportunity to sow a brighter future. 

“Hopefully going [to East School], I’ll be able to give great moments to all the students and the faculty there as well,” he said. “I want to really build and foster relationships with the students – breaking those barriers down so they’re not scared of police officers. I want them to see that we are human – we have families and kids, we’re dads, we’re moms just like them, except we have a different job than most people,” he said. 

Bentley himself was a standout athlete at NCHS, an interest he attributes to his elementary school teachers.

“Tons of sports,” he said. “I used to play outside and I remember the faculty being so awesome. I had this teacher, Mr. [Jack] Thompson – he was just awesome. He was a fifth-grade teacher at the time and he was just a great guy and a great teacher.”

After graduating from NCHS, Bentley went on to have a storied career as a police officer—one highlight of his career was saving the life of a six-month-old baby. 

“Mark,” was the baby’s name, Bentley said.

He describes the situation as “Right place, right time.”

“I was able to save him and I actually recently saw him and his family during one of our parades in town and he’s quite a young man,” Bentley said. “It’s pretty cool that I was able to provide that to that family.”

He added: “He was six months old and the ironic thing with that was my son at the time was four months old, so I had a son around the same age.”

After September of 2025, Bentley can retire if he chooses to. 

After retiring, he plans to get more involved in his and his wife’s small business, Key Holder Services. The business provides a house-watching service for residents when they go on vacation

“It’s just basically an all-around service that we provide for people that go away and need us to take care of their homes for them,” he said.

He said the business is going ““really well.”

“My wife and I have a part-time employee who does a lot of work for us,” Bentley said. 

More than his plans for deeper involvement in the business, he hopes to spend more time with his family. 

“I am devoted to raising my kids in the right way and having them be involved with sports and family,” he said. “Family time is a very big thing with me – being there for my wife and my kids all the time. I’m a true family man.”

Bentley has been with his wife for 25 years. 

“I’ve been married 20 out of those 25 years. She’s the most amazing woman that I’ve ever met,” he said. “She’s an amazing mother. I have two amazing children: my daughter who’s 14 – she’s going to be going to St. Joe’s, where she got recruited to play soccer, and my son who’s 10, but looks 14, who is also a very good athlete.” 

Bentley’s deep ties to New Canaan make his assignment at East School a truly full-circle moment.

“It’s a great opportunity for me to give back to the community that has given me so much,” he said.